


A second chance at happiness

by darkmoore



Series: Gifteds and Balances Verse [1]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bonding, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-03
Updated: 2015-12-03
Packaged: 2018-05-04 18:37:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5344388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darkmoore/pseuds/darkmoore
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Technopath Dr. Rodney McKay needs a different <i>Balance</i> before time runs out. The new military leader might just be the perfect fit.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A second chance at happiness

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Tarlan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tarlan/gifts).



> Written for the SGA_secretsanta comm over at LJ. This is a gift for Tarlan. I hope you like it. 
> 
> Thanks go to **Brumeier** who did the beta, along with cheerleading, hand holding and encouraging me throughout two false starts and much pulling out hair in frustration. I couldn't have done it without her.

Rodney slowly rolled down his sleeve, deliberately not looking at Carson, who was busying himself with disposing the empty syringe and used needle. “I can feel her less and less each day. Guess that means it’s working,” Rodney finally said, his tone subdued with only a hint of the bitterness he felt entering his voice. He deliberately didn’t specify if he meant Atlantis, or Adrienne, his _Balance_ who was lying in a medically induced coma in the next room. 

“You knew it would be like that, Rodney,” Carson replied patiently. “The suppressants are working like they should and you should be grateful for that. A mechanical suppressor would be a lot harder on you and we’re running out of time here. We need to break the connection as soon as possible if we want to save Adrienne. You’re frying her synapses with your raw mental power. I don’t need to tell you this all over again, do I?” 

“Of course not,” Rodney said, a little more sharply than he had intended. It wasn’t Carson’s fault that when he and Adrienne had been _matched_ almost ten years ago no one had anticipated that his strong gift would be too much for her to handle in the long run. Now that oversight had come back to bite them in the ass. Rodney fixed Carson with a glare. 

“I’m just saying that I’m less than happy about being robbed of my gifts while you try and come up with a different _Balance_ for me. The success of the mission could depend on me interacting with Atlantis and you will have switched me off. I mean, I’m still the smartest man in two galaxies, technopath or not, but it should be possible for those idiots at the IMC to find someone who fits my brainwaves and is a general match for me, right? Preferably someone whose brain won’t take damage from being bonded to me. Is that so much to ask for? Back in the day I had six possible matches. I’m aware this time I won’t get to pick, but someone has to be out there who can keep me from going … technoblind.”

Carson just sighed and didn’t say anything else. He was right of course, this wasn’t the first time they’d had this conversation. Talking about it didn’t change a thing; it only served to make Rodney more angry and bitter. But until the International Matching Center found another _Balance_ for him there was nothing much they could do. Rodney would keep on getting daily injections of suppressant, and would have to keep watching his bonded wither away in the infirmary. 

Rodney slipped into the room where Adrienne was lying and pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head. They weren’t lovers any more, not for a while now, but they were close friends and confidants, and Rodney would never wish any harm on her. She’d supported him the best way she was able to and for that he would always be grateful.

* * *

“Colonel John Sheppard, USAF,” Sam said and placed a tablet onto the workbench in front of Rodney. Something was nagging at the back of Rodney’s mind, something about that name. It sounded familiar. 

“Who is that?” Rodney asked, usually less than concerned about the military contingent on Atlantis. Colonel Sumner usually had things under control, but there had been noise about him getting replaced soon. Apparently the aging process that had taken a good ten years off his life when he had been fed on by a Wraith had taken a bigger toll on him than he had initially let on. 

“This is your new _Balance_ and the new military leader of Atlantis. He lost his _Gifted_ in a chopper crash in Afghanistan, and he’s finally back to active duty. It didn’t look as if he was going to agree to another _matching_ but he changed his mind. He’s arriving on the Daedalus in an hour and has agreed to meet you tonight. I got you his service record, matching test and some general background information he provided for his potential new _Gifted_. I think you should consider him.” Sam looked at him expectantly. 

For a moment Rodney didn’t know what to feel. He vaguely remembered having been provided with this sort of file before, ten years ago. There had been six possible matches to choose from and since they all were volunteers, the decision with whom to meet lay with the _Gifted_. Rodney had met with two women, one of them Adrienne. She had seemed like the best choice; the safest choice. As a scientist, much like himself, it had seemed that they would have the most in common and the fact that she was truly beautiful had been a bonus. She’d taken to him like a duck to water and in no time they had been bonded. Only when she showed the first signs of mental burnout, of distress and fatigue, of being overloaded and unable to cope with the magnitude of his gifts, had Rodney started to think about what might have happened had he chosen differently. 

But that was a moot point. Now all that mattered was to make sure that it wouldn’t happen again. That Sheppard, should they come to an agreement about their bonding, wouldn’t share the same fate as Adrienne. Rodney wouldn’t risk another person’s health like that. Not if he could prevent it. 

“I’ll meet with him but if I’m not absolutely sure that he can cope with my gifts, I will reject him. If we bond and this goes wrong, I won’t just incapacitate a brilliant scientist. I will be robbing this base of their commanding officer. That’s just a risk I can’t take. If we’re clear on that, you can go ahead and schedule a meeting.”

Sam smiled at him and inclined her head. “I’ll let him know.”

* * *

“Come in!” The door to Sheppard’s new quarters opened and Rodney took a deep breath. He was nervous, and with reason. If this thing between them worked out, if they were not only compatible but Sheppard was strong enough to actually break the frail, remaining connection to Adrienne, then all of Rodney’s problems would be solved. Adrienne would get well again, Rodney could get an antidote to the suppressants and bond, and with that his beautiful city would come back to him. His connection to the technology all around him would return. He wouldn’t feel deaf and blind any more, like someone had hidden him away in a soundproof room. He’d get his life back, the way it was supposed to be. 

Rodney was startled out of his thought process when a guy with a bad case of bed head and the most unusual eyes appeared in the doorway, looking curious. “Are you going to stand in the hallway all night or do you plan on joining me, Dr. McKay?” he asked, an amused smile curling his lips. 

This was Sheppard? The photos in his file really hadn’t done him justice at all. Rodney was so screwed! Sheppard’s voice had gone straight to Rodney’s dick, and that was something that had never happened to him. Not like this, not from someone who might end up being the focus of his whole damn life. He’d been attracted to Adrienne, sure, not only because she was beautiful but also because she had a sharp mind and an even sharper tongue. They had fit. But it had been nothing compared to what was happening right now. 

“I’ll come in,” Rodney stammered, and entered the room when Sheppard stepped aside. Inside was the chaos one would expect when moving to a different galaxy: boxes and crates everywhere, and a duffle here and there. It looked like Sheppard hadn’t unpacked a single item. 

“Uh, I wasn’t sure if I should actually unpack here. I mean, if we’re compatible and are gonna bond, it’s not as if I’ll be actually living here, right?” Sheppard rubbed his neck in a gesture of uneasiness and Rodney felt his pulse speed up. Since when did that little boy charm work on him?

“No, that was good thinking. IMC says we’re a match, but before I agree to a full bonding I would like to make sure that you can handle my gifts. We’ll need to spend some time together, and depending on how well you deal with my gifts right now when I’m on suppressants, I can determine if there is any health risk for you involved. You don’t have to worry about Adrienne; we haven’t shared quarters since it became apparent that my powers were overwhelming her. Carson thought it wiser to have the physical distance in addition to the suppressant therapy.” Rodney knew he was rambling but he couldn’t stop himself. Sheppard made him nervous in a way he wasn’t used to. 

“I’m not worried, Rodney.” Sheppard said in a low voice. “I’m sure we’re gonna be just fine.” He leaned against the wall next to the door and watched Rodney with interest. 

“Well, I’m worried. I don’t want to go through the whole … needing a new _Balance_ thing again if you can’t handle my gifts. And quite frankly, the thought that I’m responsible for causing brain damage to the military commander of this base is not really reassuring, either. So, yes, I am worried and I find it hard to believe that you have so little self preservation that you would bond with me without making sure you won’t be hurt by –” 

Sheppard put his hand over Rodney’s mouth, cutting his speech short. Where they touched, Rodney’s skin began to tingle in a way that spoke of a strong mental connection. Stronger even than he had felt with Adrienne – and he hadn’t been on suppressants then. It was a little bit disconcerting, but mostly it was exciting. 

Sheppard grinned at him, his face lighting up with mischief. “Told you we would be fine, buddy.”

* * *

“John, what are you doing? I’m trying to sleep here,” Rodney mumbled into his pillow as he felt John nibble on his earlobe. 

“And I’m trying to have sex with you before you get too grumpy about getting up early for Henry’s christening,” John murmured, his hot breath ghosting over Rodney’s neck. 

Rodney groaned. “Remind me again why we agreed to this? It’s our day off. There should be rules against this sort of thing. What was I thinking?” 

John’s hand sneaked into the front of Rodney’s shorts and wrapped around his cock at the same moment as John gently bit into Rodney’s shoulder. “You were thinking that Adrienne is a very scary woman if she wants to be, and that it would be better to not anger her,” John said. He kissed the side of Rodney’s jaw, his stubble catching on Rodney’s own. “For someone so tiny she sure has a hell of a temper. I’m still surprised the two of you didn’t kill each other.”

Rodney huffed. He didn’t want to talk about his former _Balance_ any more. She’d been matched with a new _Gifted_ shortly after he’d bonded with John himself, and he’d been more than happy to be able to keep her on his staff. But John was right – her sharp tongue and famous temper had only gotten worse after they’d parted as a matched pair.

“We had some spectacular fights,” Rodney said, and panted when John’s calloused hand found his balls while his other hand started to jack him, slowly. “She was a great _Balance_ , but she doesn’t have your…” He groaned when John swiped his thumb over the sensitive head of his cock. “… ridiculously amazing ATA gene.” 

“I knew you only wanted me for my body,” John joked. He pushed the covers away and when he pulled on Rodney’s underwear, Rodney lifted his hips to help him get the garment off.

“Don’t be stupid. Not even you could keep me interested for three years with just your good looks and your ability to connect me even closer to my city.” Rodney was only half joking. He loved John so much it was sort of ridiculous, and the fact that he was smart, funny, sexy as hell, and completely devoted to helping Rodney interact with Atlantis was just an added bonus. 

Things got a little bit fuzzy around the edges when John sucked Rodney’s cock down to the root; the wet, tight heat felt absolutely perfect. Rodney let the rest of the world fade away and concentrated on John and the emotions traveling along their bond. He submersed himself completely in the love and desire, happiness and excitement that connected them, and let John lead the way. He knew his _Balance_ would keep him safe. It seemed, sometimes, life offered a second chance at happiness after all.


End file.
